HANDBOOK 

of  the 

NEW  YORK  PUBLIC 
LIBRARY 


NEW  YORK 
1921 


Avery  Architi  en  ral  and  Fine  Arts  Library 
Gift  of  Seymour  B.  Durst  Old  York  Library 


IE*  ICtbrtB 


SEYMOUR  DURST 


When  you  leave,  please  leave  this  book 

Because  it  has  been  said 
"Ever'tbinQ  comes  t'  him  who  waits 

Except  a  loaned  book." 


1 

Digitized  by 

the  Internet  Archive 

in  2013 

http://archive.org/details/handbookofnewyorOOnewy_0 


HANDBOOK 

of 

THE  NEW  YORK  PUBLIC 
LIBRARY 


NEW  YORK. 
I  921 


6  f Kite 
111 

K2U 


CONTENTS 


The  Central  Building:  page 

Exterior    -     --     --     --     --     --     --     --  7 

Sculpture  ---------------11 

The  rear  of  the  Building     -     --     --     --     --  -15 

FIRST  FLOOR 

Entrances      -     --     --     --     --     --     --  -17 

Public  Telephones     -     --     --     --     --     --  -18 

Directory  of  Rooms    ------------  IS 

Elevators  ---------------18 

Exhibition  Room  -------------  18 

Current  Periodicals  Room     -     --     --     --     --  -18 

Business  Offices  ----  --19 

The  Library  for  the  Blind     -     --     --     --     --  -19 

Science  and  Technology  Division      -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -  21 

SECOND  FLOOR 

Oriental  Division      ------------  23 

Jewish  Division    -------------  23 

Slavonic  Division  -------------  23 

Economics  Division     ------------  23 

Business  Offices  -------------  24 

THIRD  FLOOR 

Public  Catalogue  Room    -     --     --     --     --  --25 

Information  Desk     ------------  26 

Application  for  Books      -----------  2n 

The  Main  Reading  Room  -----     ---  ---26 

The  Library's  Books  -     --     --     --     --     --  -27 

Use  of  Books  --------------28 

Stack  ----------------29 

Genealogy  Room   -     --     --     --     --     --  --30 

American  History  Division    -     --     --     --     --     -  30 

Reserved  Books     -     --     --     --     --     --  --30 

Prints  Room   --------------  33 

Art  and  Architecture  ^     -     -     -     -     -  -33 

Map  Room  ---------------  33 

Stuart  Gallery    -------------  33 

General  Gallery  -     --     --     --     --     --  --34 

Prints  Gallery     -----------     -     _  34 

Spencer  Collection     -     --     --     --     --     --     -  34 

Manuscript  Division  ------------34 

Music  Division     -     --     --     --     --     --     --  35 


[3] 


Tite  Central  Building,  continued: 

BASEMENT  page 

Newspaper  Room  --------36 

Central  Circulation  Branch  ----------  37 

Children's  Room  -     --     --     --     --     --     --  37 

Elevators  ---------   -  37 

Library  School     -     --     --     -  -38 

Business  Offices  -------------38 

Extension  Division     -     --     --     --     --     --     -  38 

Municipal  Reference  Library  --------  38 

Circulation  Department  (branches): 

Circulation  of  Books  ------------41 

Special  Collections    -     --     --     --     --     --  -43 

Interbranch  Loan      -     --     --     --     --     --     -  43 

Picture  Collection     -     --     --     --     --     --     -  45 

Library  for  the  Blind      -     --     --     --     --     --  45 

Extension  Division     -     --     --     --     --     --  -45 

Work  with  Children  ------------45 

Lectures  and  Meetings     -     --     --     --     --  --46 

Historical  Sketch  of  the  Library: 

The  Astor  Library     ------------  47 

The  Lenox  Library    -     --     --     --     --     --  -47 

The  Tilden  Trust      ------------  48 

Consolidation  --------------48 

New  York  Free  Circulating  Library  --------49 

Other  Circulating  Libraries  ----------49 

Carnegie  Branches     -     --     --     --     --     --  -49 

Management  -     --     --     --     --     --     --  -50 

A  History  of  the  Library  -----------51 

Work  of  the  Library  ------------51 


Directory  of  Rooms,  Central  Building  -     --     --     --  -53 

Floor  Plans,  Central  Building  --------     -  54-60 

Trustees  and  Officers  of  the  Library     -     --     --     --  -57 

Directory  of  Branch  Libraries  -     --     --     --     --  -59 

Publications  of  the  Library  -----------  62 

The  Croton  Reservoir     -     --     --  63 


[4] 


NOTE 


Although  the  purpose  of  this  Handbook  is  to  tell  the 
principal  facts  about  the  Library  as  an  institution,  its  chief 
use  is  that  of  a  guide  to  the  Central  Building.  The  section 
about  the  Central  Building  is  therefore  given  first  place.  Any 
visitor  who  cares  to  take  the  trouble,  before  beginning  his  tour 
of  the  Building,  to  read  the  brief  historical  sketch  (on  pages 
47-52)  will  have  a  better  understanding  of  the  organization  and 
zvork  of  the  Library,  and  see  the  reasons  for  a  number  of 
things  which  might  not  otherwise  be  clear. 


THE    CENTRAL  BUILDING 


Open:  Week  days,  including  holidays,  9  a.  m.  to  10  p.  m. 
Sundays,  1  p.  M.  to  10  p.  m. 

(Except  where  otherwise  noted  these  are 
the  hours  of  the  special  reading  rooms.) 


THE    CENTRAL  BUILDING 


The  Central  Building  of  The  New  York  Public  Library 
is  on  the  western  side  of  Fifth  Avenue,  occupying  the  two 
blocks  between  40th  and  42nd  Streets.  It  stands  on  part 
of  the  site  of  the  old  Croton  distributing  reservoir,  and  it 
was  built  by  the  City  of  Xew  York  at  a  cost  of  about  nine 
million  dollars. 

Competitions  to  choose  the  architect  for  the  building 
were  held  in  1897,  two  years  after  The  New  York  Public 
Library  was  incorporated.  (From  1895  to  1911  the  work 
of  the  Library  wTas  carried  on  in  the  Astor  Library,  the 
Lenox  Library  and  in  other  buildings  belonging  to  the  or- 
ganizations which  joined  to  form  The  New  York  Public 
Library.)  The  result  of  the  competition  was  the  selection 
of  Messrs.  Carrere  and  Hastings,  of  New  York,  as  archi- 
tects. In  1899  the  work  of  removing  the  old  reservoir 
began.  Various  legal  difficulties  and  labor  troubles  de- 
layed the  construction  of  the  building,  but  by  November 
10,  1902,  the  work  had  progressed  so  far  that  the  corner- 
stone was  laid.  The  building  was  opened  to  the  public 
May  23,  1911,  in  the  presence  of  the  President  of  the 
United  States,  the  Governor  of  the  State  of  New  York, 
the  Mayor  of  New  York,  and  an  audience  of  about  six  hun- 
dred persons. 

Exterior.  The  material  of  the  building  is  largely 
Vermont  marble,  and  the  style  that  of  the  modern  Renais- 
sance, somewhat  in  the  manner  of  the  period  of  Louis  XVI, 
with  certain  modifications  to  suit  the  conditions  of  to-day. 
It  is  rectangular  in  shape,  390  feet  long  and  270  feet  deep. 

[7] 


TERRACE    IN   FRONT   OF  LIBRARY 
Looking  South 


built  around  two  inner  courts.  It  has  a  cellar,  basement  or 
ground  floor,  and  three  upper  floors. 

"The  Library,"  wrote  Mr.  A.  C.  David,  in  the 
'Architectural  Record,'1  "is  undeniably  popular.  It 
has  already  taken  its  place  in  the  public  mind  as  a 
building  of  which  every  New  Yorker  may  be  proud, 
and  this  opinion  of  the  building  is  shared  by  the 
architectural  profession  of  the  country.  Of  course, 
it  does  not  please  everybody ;  but  if  American  archi- 
tects in  good  standing  were  asked  to  name  the  one 
building  which  embodied  most  of  what  was  good 
in  contemporary  American  architecture,  The  New 
York  Public  Library  would  be  the  choice  of  a  hand- 
some majority." 

Mr.  David  continued :  "The  Library  is  not, 
then,  intended  to  be  a  great  monumental  building, 
which  would  look  almost  as  well  from  one  point  of 
view  as  another,  and  which  would  be  fundamentally 
an  example  of  pure  architectural  form.  It  is  de- 
signed rather  to  face  on  the  avenue  of  a  city,  and  not 
to  seem  out  of  place  on  such  a  site.  It  is  essentially 
and  frankly  an  instance  of  street  architecture ;  and 
as  an  instance  of  street  architecture  it  is  distin- 
guished in  its  appearance  rather  than  imposing.  Not, 
indeed,  that  it  is  lacking  in  dignity.  The  facade  on 
Fifth  Avenue  has  poise,  as  well  as  distinction ;  char- 
acter, as  well  as  good  manners.  But  still  it  does 
not  insist  upon  its  own  peculiar  importance,  as  every 
monumental  building  must  do.  It  is  content  with  a 
somewhat  humbler  role,  but  one  which  is  probably 
more  appropriate.  It  looks  ingratiating  rather  than 
imposing,  and  that  is  probably  one  reason  for  its 
popularity.  It  is  intended  for  popular  rather  than 
for  official  use,  and  the  building  issues  to  the  people 
an  invitation  to  enter  rather  than  a  command.  .  . 

"The  final  judgment  on  the  Library  will  be, 
consequently,  that  it  is  not  a  great  monument, 
because  considerations  of  architectural  form  have 
in  several  conspicuous  instances  been  deliberately 
subordinated  to  the  needs  of  the  plan.  In  this 
respect  it  resembles  the  new  Museum  of  Fine  Arts 
in  Boston.   The  building  is  at  bottom  a  compromise 


1  September,  1910. 


[9] 


ENTRANCE  LOBBY 


between  two  groups  of  partly  antagonistic  demands, 
and  a  compromise  can  hardly  ever  become  a  con- 
summate example  of  architectural  form.  But,  on  the 
other  hand,  Messrs.  Carrere  and  Hastings  have,  as 
in  so  many  other  cases,  made  their  compromise  suc- 
cessful. Faithful  as  they  have  been  to  the  funda- 
mental requirement  of  adapting  the  building  to  its 
purpose  as  a  library,  they  have  also  succeeded  in 
making  it  look  well ;  and  they  have  succeeded  in 
making  it  look  well  partly  because  the  design  is 
appropriate  to  its  function  as  a  building  in  which 
books  are  stored,  read  and  distributed.  A  merely 
monumental  library  always  appears  somewhat  for- 
bidding and  remote.  The  Library  looks  attractive, 
and  so  far  as  a  large  building  can,  even  intimate.  .  . 

"The  popularity  of  the  Library  has,  conse- 
quently, been  well  earned.  The  public  has  reason 
to  like  it,  because  it  offers  them  a  smiling  counte- 
nance ;  and  the  welcome  it  gives  is  merely  the  out- 
ward and  visible  sign  of  an  inward  grace.  When 
people  enter  they  will  find  a  building  which  has 
neen  ingeniously  and  carefully  adapted  to  their  use. 
Professional  architects  like  it,  because  they  recog- 
nize the  skill,  the  good  taste  and  the  abundant  re- 
sources of  which  the  building,  as  a  whole,  is  the 
result;  and  while  many  of  them  doubtless  cherish  a 
secret  thought  that  they  would  have  done  it  better, 
they  are  obliged  to  recognize  that  in  order  to  have 
done  it  better  they  would  have  been  obliged  to 
exhibit  a  high  degree  of  architectural  intelligence. 
In  the  realism  of  its  plan  and  in  the  mixture  of 
dignity  and  distinction  in  the  design,  The  New 
York  Public  Library  is  typical  of  that  which  is  best 
in  the  contemporary  American  architectural  move- 
ment ;  and  New  York  is  fortunate,  indeed,  that  such 
a  statement  can  be  made  of  the  most  important 
public  building  erected  in  the  city  during  several 
generations." 


Sculpture.  Of  the  sculptural  designs,  the  two  lions 
on  either  side  of  the  main  approach  are  by  E.  C.  Potter. 
They  have  been  subjected  to  much  criticism,  mainlv  of  a 
humorous  nature,  and  in  the  daily  press.  This  adverse 
comment  has  not  been  endorsed  by  critics  of  art  and  archi- 

[11] 


tecture.  Mr.  Potter  was  chosen  for  this  work  by  Augustus 
St.  Gaudens,  and  again,  after  Mr.  St.  Gaudens'  death,  by 
Mr.  D.  C.  French,  also  an  eminent  sculptor.  Any  layman 
can  satisfy  himself,  by  a  brief  observation  of  the  building 
as  a  whole,  that  the  architectural  balance  of  the  structure 
demands  figures  of  heroic  size  to  flank  the  main  approach. 
With  that  requirement  in  view,  the  designer  of  such  figures 


r  ^    ____  A 


THE  NEW  YORK  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 
From  a  pencil  drawing  by  Louis  H.  Ruyl 

has  but  a  limited  choice  of  subject,  since  there  are  few  of 
the  larger  living  creatures  whose  forms  possess  dignity 
without  being  cumbrous.  The  sculptor  in  this  instance  has 
followed  well-established  precedents  in  designing  the  lions 
according  to  the  canons  of  decorative  art.  They  are  as 
realistic  as  would  be  suitable  for  figures  of  this  size,  and 
in  this  position. 

The  groups  in  the  pediments  are  by  George  Gray 
Barnard;  the  one  in  the  northern  pediment  represents 
History,  and  the  one  in  the  southern,  Art. 

[12] 


The  figures  above  the  fountains  on  either  side  of  the 
main  entrance  are  by  Frederick  MacMonnies;  the  man 
seated  on  the  Sphinx,  on  the  northern  side  of  the  entrance 
represents  Truth.  On  the  southern  side,  the  figure  of  the 
woman  seated  on  Pegasus  represents  Beauty.  Plaster 
casts  stood  in  place  of  the  fountain  statues  for  about  five 
years;  the  permanent  marble  figures  were  not  set  up  until 
1921.  Above  the  figure  of  Truth  is  this  inscription  from 
the  Apocrypha  (1  Esdras,  chapter  3): 

BUT   ABOVE  ALL  THINGS 
TRUTH 
BEARETH  AWAY 
THE  VICTORY 

The  inscription  above  the  figure  of  Beauty  is: 

BEAUTY 
OLD  YET  EVER  NEW 

ETERNAL  VOICE 
AND   INWARD  WORD 

This  is  from  the  twenty-first  stanza  of  Whittier's  poem, 
"The  Shadow  and  the  Light." 

The  six  figures  above  the  main  entrance  are  by  Paul 
Bartlett;  naming  them  from  north  to  south  they  are: 
History,  Drama,  Poetry,  Religion,  Romance,  and  Phi- 
losophy. Above  the  entrance  are  inscriptions  concerning 
three  of  the  component  parts  of  The  New  York  Public 
Library.    They  are  as  follows: 

THE  LENOX  LIBRARY 
FOUNDED  BY 
JAMES  LENOX 
DEDICATED  TO  HISTORY 
LITERATURE  AND  THE  FINE  ARTS 
MDCCCLXX 


THE  ASTOR  LIBRARY 

FOUNDED  BY 
JOHN  JACOB  ASTOR 
FOR  THE 

ADVANCEMENT  OF  USEFUL  KNOWLEDGE 
MDCCCNLVIII 


THE  TILDEN  TRUST 
FOUNDED  BY 
SAMUEL  JONES  TILDEN 
TO  SERVE  THE  INTERESTS  OF 
SCIENCE  AND  POPULAR  EDUCATION 
MDCCCLXXXVI 


[13] 


Beneath  these  is  this  inscription: 

MDCCCXCV     THE  NEW  YORK  PUBLIC  LIBRARY  MDCCCCII 

Of  the  dates  in  this  lower  inscription,  the  first,  1895,  is 
that  of  the  incorporation  of  The  New  York  Public  Library; 
the  second,  1902,  is  that  of  the  laying  of  the  cornerstone. 


A  RAINY  DAY  —  FIFTH  AVENUE 
From   ax   Etching  by   Charles   B.  King 

The  marble  of  the  Library  is  slowly  turning-  a  deep 
golden  brown,  in  accordance  with  the  hope  and  intention 
of  the  architects.  The  rich  color  to  which  the  old  Gre- 
cian temples  have  turned  forms  one  of  their  great  beauties, 
and  while  the  atmosphere  of  New  York  is  unfavorable 
for  so  fine  a  result,  much  of  the  surface  of  the  Library  has 
"weathered''  as  its  builders  desired.      Experiments  were 


[14] 


made  with  blocks  of  marble  during  the  process  of  construc- 
tion, and  at  present  the  outcome  seems  to  be  successful. 
The  opinion  that  the  building  should  be  "cleaned"  is  now 
and  then  expressed  by  persons  who  have  some  cleaning 
preparation  or  method  for  sale. 

The  bronze  bases  of  the  flag  poles  at  each  end  of  the 
terrace  are  worth  careful  examination.  They  are  from  a 
design  by  Thomas  Hastings. 

The  statue  of  William  Cullen  Bryant,  behind  the 
Library,  is  by  Herbert  Adams. 

The  rear  of  the  building  should  be  viewed  from  Bryant 
Park.  The  long  windows  are  to  light  the  bookstack. 
Some  critics  highly  commend  the  rear  of  the  building.  Mr. 
A.  C.  David,  in  the  article  previously  quoted,  says: 

"This  facade  is  very  plainly  treated,  without 
any  pretence  to  architectural  effect.  It  is,  indeed, 
designed  frankly  as  the  rear  of  a  structure  which  is 
not  meant  to  be  looked  at  except  on  the  other  sides. 
Any  attempt,  consequently,  at  monumental  treat- 
ment has  been  abandoned.  The  building  is  designed 
to  be  seen  from  Fifth  Avenue  and  from  the  side 
streets.  The  rear,  on  Bryant  Park,  merely  takes 
care  of  itself ;  and  one  of  the  largest  apartments 
in  any  edifice  in  the  United  States  is  practically 
concealed,  so  far  as  any  positive  exterior  result  is 
concerned." 

The  large  apartment  referred  to  in  this  quotation  is 
the  Main  Reading  Room  of  the  Library,  which  is  de- 
scribed on  page  26  of  this  Handbook. 


[15] 


FIRST  FLOOR 


Entrances.  There  are  two  public  entrances  to  the 
Library,  the  main  entrance  on  Fifth  Avenue,  and  the  side 
door  on  42nd  Street,  which  gives  admission  to  the  base- 
ment, where  the  Central  Circulation  Room,  the  Newspaper 
Room  and  the  Central  Children's  Room  are  to  be  found. 
On  a  first  visit,  however,  the  sightseer  should  use  the  main 
entrance  on  Fifth  Avenue,  in  order  to  see  the  lobby,  which 
rises  through  two  stories,  with  broad  staircases  to  the  right 
and  left.  The  flying  arches  of  these  staircases  are  of  seven- 
teen feet  span,  and  are  all  of  marble  without  any  brick  or 
metal  work  whatever.  The  marble  used  in  the  lobby  is 
from  Vermont.  The  ceiling  is  a  true  marble  vault  of  forty 
feet  span,  supporting  itself  and  the  floor  over  it,  with  no 
metal  whatever,  except  some  reinforcing  rods  buried  in  the 
concrete  filling  in  the  floor  above. 

Between  the  pillars  facing  the  entrance  are  two  in- 
scriptions.   At  the  left  is  this: 

THE   CITY   OF   NEW  YORK 
HAS   ERECTED  THIS  BUILDING 
TO  BE   MAINTAINED  FOREVER 

AS   A   FREE  LIBRARY 
FOR  THE   USE   OF  THE  PEOPLE 

And  at  the  right: 

ON  THE   DIFFUSION   OF  EDUCATION 
AMONG   THE  PEOPLE 
REST  THE  PRESERVATION 
AND  PERPETUATION 
OF   OUR   FREE  INSTITUTIONS 

The  latter  is  a  quotation  from  an  address  by  Daniel 
Webster  at  Madison,  Indiana,  June  1,  1837. 

Above  the  first  landing,  on  the  staircase  at  the  left  of 
the  entrance,  is  a  bust  of  John  Stewart  Kennedy  (1830- 
1909)  erected  by  the  Trustees  of  the  Library  to  honor  the 

[17] 


former  President  of  the  Lenox  Library,  and  a  Trustee  of 
The  New  York  Public  Library.  Mr.  Kennedy,  well  under- 
standing the  needs  of  such  an  institution  as  this,  left  about 
three  million  dollars  to  the  Library  in  1909,  and  further  in- 
creased the  value  of  his  bequest  by  placing  no  restrictions 
upon  it,  but  allowing  its  income  to  be  used  for  the  general 
purposes  of  the  Library.  The  sculptor  of  the  bust  was 
Hcrmon  A.  MacNeil. 

Public  telephones  are  under  the  staircase  at  the  right 
of  the  entrance. 

A  Directory  of  Rooms  in  the  Building  is  on  a  wooden 
standard  near  the  telephones.  This  Directory  is  also 
printed  on  pages  53-55  of  this  Handbook.  Floor-plans  of 
the  Building  will  be  found  on  the  walls  in  different  parts  of 
the  Library.  These  plans  are  reproduced  on  pages  54—60 
of  this  Handbook. 

Elevators  are  near  the  northern  or  42nd  Street  end 
of  the  building.  There  is  also  a  staircase  at  that  end  of 
the  building,  in  addition  to  the  staircases  near  the  main 
entrance. 

Exhibition  Room.  Facing  the  visitor  as  he  comes  in 
at  the  main  entrance  is  the  Exhibition  Room,  finished  in 
white  Vermont  marble.  The  ceiling  is  supported  by 
twenty-four  columns  of  green  veined  white  marble.  The 
ceiling  itself  is  elaborately  and  beautifully  carved  in  oak. 
This  room  is  devoted  to  exhibitions  of  rare  books,  manu- 
scripts and  prints.  The  exhibitions  are  changed  from  time 
to  time,  usually  as  often  as  three  or  four  times  a  year.  Open 
9  a.  m.  to  6  p.  m.  on  week  days;  1  to  5  p.  m.  Sundays. 

Current  Periodicals  Room.  The  corridor  to  the  south 
from  the  main  entrance  leads  to  the  Current  Periodicals 
Room  (Room  Number  111).     Here  about  5,000  current 


[18] 


periodicals  are  on  file.  A  hundred  of  these  are  on  open 
racks.  The  others  may  be  obtained  upon  application  at 
the  desk.  A  classified  finding  list  gives  the  reader  the  titles 
of  periodicals  kept  here.  As  this  room  is  sometimes  con- 
fused in  the  public  mind  with  a  popular  or  club  reading 
room,  it  should  be  remembered  that  this  is  a  department 
of  a  building  primarily  devoted  to  the  reference  and  re- 
search work  of  the  Library.  The  few  restrictions  which 
are  imposed  are  only  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  the  files 
intact  for  binding.  The  Branches  of  The  New  York  Public 
Library  contain  reading  rooms  where  all  the  periodicals 
are  on  open  racks. 

Business  Offices.  Following  the  corridor  leading 
south  and  then  turning  to  the  right  along  the  40th  Street 
side  of  the  building,  one  reaches  some  of  the  business 
offices  of  the  Library  —  the  office  of  the  Bursar  (No.  104), 
of  the  Building  Superintendent  (No.  103),  of  the  Chief  of 
the  Circulation  Department  (No.  102),  of  the  Supervisor  of 
work  with  children  (No.  105).  These  offices  are  open  for 
any  persons  who  have  occasion  to  visit  them  for  business 
reasons,  but  they  are  of  no  interest  to  sightseers.  At  the 
end  of  the  corridor  is  Room  100,  devoted  to  the  Book  Order 
Office,  Cataloguing  Office,  Picture  Collection,  and  Inter- 
branch  Loan  Office,  all  of  the  Circulation  Department.  In 
Room  100  is  a  card  catalogue  of  all  the  books  in  this  Depart- 
ment, —  that  is,  in  the  Branches  of  the  Library.  The 
Room  is  open  to  the  public,  for  the  consultation  of  this 
catalogue  and  for  borrowers  from  the  Picture  Collection 
on  week  days  from  9  a.  m.  to  5  p.  m. 

The  Library  for  the  Blind  (No.  116)  is  on  the  inner  or 
western  side  of  the  corridor  leading  north  from  the  main 
entrance.  This  collection  contains  over  12,000  books  in 
embossed  type  for  blind  readers,  and, in  addition,  5,800  music 
scores,  also  in  embossed  type.     These  books  are  lent  not 


[19] 


only  in  Greater  New  York,  but  are  sent  free  by  mail  to  blind 
readers  in  all  parts  of  the  States  of  New  York,  New  Jersey, 
and  Connecticut.  The  room  is  open  on  week  days  from 
9  a.  m.  to  5  p.  m.  A  bronze  tablet  on  the  wall  bears  the 
following  inscription: 

THE  NEW  YORK 
FREE  CIRCULATING  LIBRARY  FOR  THE  BLIND 
WAS  FOUNDED  BY  RICHARD  RANDALL  FERRY 


THROUGH  THE  EXERTIONS  OF  CLARA  A.  WILLIAMS 
THIS    LIBRARY    WAS    PERMANENTLY  ESTABLISHED 
INCORPORATED,  JUNE  3,  1895 
TRANSFERRED   TO  THE   N.   Y.   PUBLIC  LIBRARY,   FEB.   21,  1903 

TRUSTEES 

WILLIAM  B.  WAIT  CLARA  A.  WILLIAMS 

CLARK  B.  FERRY 
RICHARD  RANDALL  FERRY  CHARLES  W.  WESTON 

The  trustees  named  on  the  tablet  are,  of  course,  those 
of  the  former  organization:  the  "New  York  Free  Circulat- 
ing Library  for  the  Blind." 

Science  and  Technology  Division.  At  the  end  of  this 
corridor,  near  the  north-eastern  corner  of  the  building,  is 
the  entrance  to  the  Science  and  Technology  Division.  To 
the  right,  on  the  front  of  the  building,  are  Room  117,  in 
which  are  the  Engineering  periodicals;  and  Room  115,  for 
the  subjects  of  Physics,  Geology,  Mathematics,  Mining,  and 
Metallurgy.  To  the  left  of  the  entrance  to  the  Division, 
the  corridor  along  the  42nd  Street  side  contains  the  card 
catalogue  of  the  Division.  Opening  from  the  corridor  are 
Room  118,  for  Chemistry;  Room  120,  the  office  of  the  Chief 
of  the  Division;  and  Room  121,  for  Engineering,  Elec- 
tricity, Textiles,  Shipbuilding,  Patents,  Aeronautics,  Au- 
tomobiles, etc.  The  resources  of  this  Division  include 
about  135,000  volumes  and  pamphlets. 


[21] 


W  INDOW  OVER  FIFTH  AVENUE  ENTRANCE  OF  CENTRAL  BUILDING 
From  a  pencil  drawing  by  Louis  H.  Ruyl 


SECOND  FLOOR 


On  the  second  floor  a  corridor  runs  along  the  front 
of  the  building,  turning  into  short  corridors  at  the  north 
and  south,  and  also  into  a  central  corridor.  From  these 
corridors  open  studies,  offices  and  special  reading  rooms. 
In  the  central  corridor,  four  studies  open  on  the  right, 
while  the  fifth  room  on  this  side  is  devoted  to  the 

Oriental  Division  (No.  219),  with  a  collection  of 
about  22,000  books  and  pamphlets  in  Arabic,  Persian,  Turk- 
ish, Chinese,  Japanese,  and  other  eastern  languages.  Open 
9  a.  m.  to  6  p.  m.  week  days. 

Jewish  Division  (No.  217).  Opposite  the  Oriental 
Division,  on  the  south  side  of  this  central  corridor,  is  the 
reading  room  devoted  to  the  Jewish  Division.  There  are 
about  21,600  books  and  pamphlets  in  the  collection. 

Slavonic  Division.  The  room  devoted  to  the  Sla- 
vonic Division  (No.  216)  is  also  on  the  south  side  of  the 
central  corridor.  The  resources  of  this  Division,  books 
and  pamphlets  in  the  various  Slavonic  languages,  number 
about  27,000. 

Economics  Division.  On  the  front  corridor,  near  the 
north-east  corner  of  the  building,  is  the  entrance  through 
Room  228,  to  the  Economics  Division.  This  Division  oc- 
cupies Rooms  225  and  227,  facing  Fifth  Avenue,  with  228 
and  229  on  the  northern  or  42nd  Street  end.  The  books 
and  pamphlets  constituting  the  resources  of  the  Division, 
and  numbering  about  285,000,  bear  upon  the  subjects  of 
Economics,  Sociology,  Political  Science,  Statistics,  and 
Public  Documents. 


[23] 


Business  Offices.  The  rooms  opening  from  the  cor- 
ridor running-  south  from  the  main  staircase  are  mostly 
business  offices,  devoted  to  the  administration  of  the 
Library.  Only  one  is  of  interest  to  sightseers,  but  they  are 
open  to  anybody  who  has  occasion  to  visit  them.  They 
include,  on  the  front  of  the  building,  a  lecture  room  (No. 
213),  the  office  of  the  Director  of  the  Library  (No.  210). 
and  the  meeting  room  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  (No.  205). 
On  the  inner  or  western  side  of  the  corridor  are:  a  study 
(No.  214),  the  office  of  the  Editor  (No.  212),  and  of  the 
Reference  Librarian  (No.  211).  The  Trustees'  Room  may 
be  seen  on  application  at  the  Director's  office.  The  nota- 
ble sculptured  mantelpiece  is  by  F.  L.  M.  Tonetti.  Over 
the  mantelpiece  is  the  inscription: 

THE   CITY  OF   NEW  YORK  HAS   ERECTED  THIS 
BUILDING  FOR  THE  FREE  USE  OF  ALL  THE  PEOPLE 
MCMX 

I  LOOK  TO  THE  DIFFUSION  OF  LIGHT  AND  EDUCATION 
AS  THE  RESOURCE  MOST  TO  BE  RELIED  ON  FOR 
AMELIORATING  THE  CONDITION   PROMOTING  THE  VIRTUE 
AND  ADVANCING  THE  HAPPINESS  OF  MAN 

THOMAS  JEFFERSON 

On  the  corridor  leading  west,  along  the  40th  Street 
end  of  the  building,  are  workrooms  of  the  Library,  open 
only  to  visitors  having  business  engagements.  These 
rooms  are  the  office  of  the  Acquisition  Division  (formerly 
Order  Division)  (No.  204),  and  of  the  Preparation  Division 
(formerly  Cataloguing  and  Accessions  Divisions)  (No.  200 
and  No.  201).  The  work  done  in  these  rooms  is  for  the 
Reference  Department  of  the  Library. 


[24] 


THIRD  FLOOR 


The  most  important  room  on  the  third  floor  and, 
indeed,  the  center  of  activity  of  the  entire  Reference  De- 
partment, is  the  Main  Reading  Room,  approached  through 
the  Public  Catalogue  Room.  The  latter  opens  from  the 
western  side  of  the  corridor  at  the  head  of  the  staircases. 

Public  Catalogue  Room.  This  room  (No.  315)  con- 
tains the  catalogue  of  the  books  in  the  Reference  De- 
partment, —  that  is,  the  books  available  to  readers  in  the 
Main  Reading  Room  and  in  the  special  reading  rooms  of 
the  Central  Building.  It  is  a  dictionary  catalogue,  on 
cards,  in  which  the  books  are  entered  by  author,  by  sub- 
ject, and  by  title,  when  the  title  is  distinctive.  The  cata- 
logue is  in  trays  arranged  in  alphabetical  order,  beginning 
on  the  northwest  wall  of  the  room  and  running  to  the  right. 
At  the  ends  of  the  tables  on  the  southern  side  of  the  room 
is  an  author  catalogue  of  the  books  in  the  Central 
Circulation  Branch  and  Central  Children's  Room,  Rooms 
78  and  80,  in  the  basement.  In  the  balcony,  on  the  south 
side  of  the  room  is  a  catalogue  of  the  books  in  the  Library 
of  Congress  (Washington,  D.  C.)  for  which  printed  cata- 
logue cards  have  been  issued. 

Near  the  entrance  to  the  Public  Catalogue  Room, 
and  at  the  right,  is  a  bronze  tablet: 

BORN  A.  D.  MDCCCXIII 
(Bas-relief  of  Sir  Isaac  Pitman) 
TABLET  ERECTED  A.  D.  MCMXIII 
TO  COMMEMORATE 
THE 

ONE   HUNDREDTH  ANNIVERSARY 
OF  THE  BIRTH  OF 
SIR    ISAAC  PITMAN 
AND  IN  RECOGNITION  OF  THE 
IMPORTANT   COLLECTION  OF 
SHORTHAND  LITERATURE 
IN  THE 
NEW  YORK  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 


[25] 


Over  the  door  leading"  from  the  Public  Catalogue 
Room  to  the  Main  Reading-  Room  is  inscribed  the  famous 
quotation  from  Milton's  "Areopagitica": 

A  good  Bookc 
is  the  pretious  life-blood  of  a 
mailer  lpirit,  embalm' d  and  trealur'd 
up  on  purpofe  to  a  life  beyond  life 

Information  Desk.  The  Information  Desk  of  the 
Library  is  in  the  Public  Catalogue  Room,  and  here  in- 
quiries should  be  made  about  the  resources  and  regula- 
tions of  the  Library,  the  use  of  the  catalogue,  and  any  other 
matter  in  which  the  visitor  is  interested. 

Application  for  books  to  be  used  in  the  Main  Reading 
Room  should  be  made  in  the  Public  Catalogue  Room.  The 
applicant  consults  the  catalogue,  writes  his  request  upon 
the  slip  furnished  for  the  purpose,  and  files  it  at  the  desk 
in  this  room.  A  numbered  ticket  is  handed  him,  which  he 
takes  into  the  Main  Reading  Room,  going  to  the  right  if 
the  ticket  number  is  odd;  to  the  left  if  the  number  is  even. 
He  then  watches  the  indicator  at  the  western  end  of  the 
delivery  desk  until  the  number  on  his  ticket  appears.  This 
means  that  his  books  are  ready  for  him  at  the  desk.  If,  how- 
ever, he  prefers  first  to  select  a  seat  in  the  Main  Reading 
Room,  he  should  write  the  number  of  that  seat  on  his  ap- 
plication, and  his  books  will  be  left  at  that  seat,  if  he  is 
there  to  receive  them. 

The  Main  Reading  Room  extends  nearly  the  entire 
length  of  the  building.  (Dimensions:  274  feet  by  72  feet; 
height:  S2l/2  feet.)  It  has  a  floor  area  of  half  an  acre,  and 
is  divided  in  the  middle  by  a  booth  from  which  books  are 
delivered.  There  are  seats  for  768  readers.  (The  reading 
rooms  of  the  building,  taken  all  together,  have  seats  for 

[26] 


1,800.)  Mr.  A.  C.  David,  in  the  article  previously  quoted 
from  the  Architectural  Record,  says: 

"The  Main  Reading  Room  is  one  of  the  most 
spacious  rooms  in  the  world  —  beautifully  propor- 
tioned, lighted  by  a  series  of  windows  on  both  the 
long  sides  of  the  room,  and  entirely  accessible  to  the 
stacks.  To  have  obtained  a  room  of  these  dimen- 
sions, so  excellently  adapted  to  its  purpose  in  every 
respect,  was  a  great  triumph  for  the  architects." 

The  shelves  along  the  walls  contain  a  collection  of 
about  22,000  volumes.  These  books  are  not  only  the  usual 
works  of  reference,  —  dictionaries,  encyclopaedias,  and 
the  like,  —  but  they  also  include  a  good  working  library  of 
general  literature,  philosophy,  religion,  science,  history, 
law,  biography,  novels,  poetry,  and  drama.  They  are 
for  the  free  use  of  anyone  in  this  room,  without  the  need 
of  making  application.  The  reader  has  only  to  select  the 
book  he  wishes,  and  to  take  it  to  a  table,  where  he  may 
read  it.  When  he  has  finished  he  should  leave  it  on  the 
table,  rather  than  attempt  to  return  it  to  its  place,  since  a 
misplaced  book  is  temporarily  lost. 

Directories  of  cities  of  the  United  States  and  Canada 
are  in  the  balcony.  Directories  of  the  larger  cities  are  on 
shelves  near  the  entrance  to  the  room. 

The  Library's  Books.  It  should  be  remembered  that 
the  books  of  the  Reference  Department  are  all  in  the  Cen- 
tral Building,  and  must  all  be  used  in  that  building.  The 
great  body  of  them  are  in  the  stack  beneath  the  Main 
Reading  Room.  In  addition,  there  are  the  books  in  the 
Main  Reading  Room  itself,  and  in  the  special  reading 
rooms  in  other  parts  of  the  building.  Books  and  pamphlets 
altogether  number  about  1,420,000. 

The  books  in  the  Central  Circulation  Room  and  in  the 
Children's  Room  in  the  basement,  the  books  in  the  Library 
for  the  Blind,  those  in  the  Extension  Division  in  the  base- 
ment, and  those  in  the  forty-two  Branch  Libraries  and 


[27] 


sub-branches  in  other  parts  of  the  Boroughs  of  Manhattan, 
The  Bronx  and  Richmond,  are  under  control  of  the  Cir- 
culation Department  of  the  Library.  Nearly  all  of  these 
books  are  lent  to  borrowers  for  home  use.  They  number 
about  1,157,000  volumes. 

In  regard  to  the  books  in  the  Reference  Department, 
it  is  correct  to  say  that  in  them  the  Library  owns  a  well- 
balanced  collection  for  research  in  nearly  every  branch 
of  human  knowledge.  The  books  formerly  in  the  Astor 
and  Lenox  Libraries  compose  the  foundation  of  the  col- 
lection. The  subjects  most  adequately  represented  are 
those  of  American  history,  of  topics  connected  with  the 
American  continents,  and  the  economic  and  social  sciences. 
There  are  also  extensive  sets  of  public  documents,  of  the 
publications  of  learned  institutions,  as  well  as  comprehen- 
sive files  of  periodicals.  In  recent  years  not  so  much  at- 
tempt has  been  made  to  get  publications  on  law,  theology, 
medicine  and  biology,  since  there  are  special  libraries,  else- 
where in  the  City,  where  these  subjects  are  covered. 
The  reader  is  nevertheless  sure  to  find  in  the  special  read- 
ing rooms,  and  in  the  books  which  may  be  brought  to 
the  Alain  Reading  Room  for  his  use,  the  fundamental 
printed  sources  in  practically  every  field  of  knowledge. 

Use  of  Books.  The  Library's  situation  in  the  me- 
tropolis, and  its  freedom  from  restrictions  (according 
to  the  custom  of  American  libraries)  have  caused  the  use 
of  its  books  to  become  greater  than  that  of  any  of  the  other 
large  libraries  of  the  world;  the  average  daily  number  of 
readers  is  more  than  double  the  number  in  any  foreign 
library.  In  1920,  there  were  2,696,609  visitors  to  the 
building,  —  a  daily  average  of  7,388.  There  is  no  complete 
record  of  how  many  of  them  used  books,  since  so  many 
books  are  on  open  shelves,  requiring  no  application  for 
their  use.  It  is  recorded  that  976,164  persons  made  written 
application,  in  1920,  and  that  2,243,131  volumes  were 
brought  to  them.    The  open  shelf  system  is  in  use  in  vary- 

[28] 


ing  degrees  in  the  following  reading  rooms:  Main  Read- 
ing Room,  Science  and  Technology,  Current  Periodicals, 
Library  for  the  Blind,  Oriental,  Jewish,  Slavonic,  Eco- 
nomics, Newspaper,  Central  Circulation  Branch,  Central 
Children's  Room,  Genealogy,  American  History,  and 
Music. 


ONE    OF   THE    SPECIAL    READING  ROOMS 
(Genealogy  and   Local  History) 


Stack.  Underneath  the  Main  Reading  Room  is  the 
steel  stack,  in  seven  decks,  containing  334,530  feet,  or  63.3 
miles  of  shelving.  It  has  room  for  about  2,500,000  books. 
(The  special  reading  rooms  have  a  shelf  capacity  for  about 
500,000  books.)  The  books  in  the  stack  are  brought  by 
electric  elevators  to  the  Main  Reading  Room,  as  they  are 
called  for  by  readers.  The  stack  is  not  open  to  readers  or 
visitors. 


[29] 


Genealogy  Room.  At  the  northern  end  of  the  Main 
Reading  Room  is  the  room  devoted  to  Local  History  and 
Genealogy  (No.  328).  The  collection  numbers  about 
thirty-five  thousand  volumes. 

American  History  Division.  At  the  southern  end  of 
the  Main  Reading  Room  is  the  room  devoted  to  American 
history  (No.  300).  It  is  one  of  the  strongest  divisions  of 
the  Library,  since  its  books  are  so  distinguished  among 
collections  of  this  kind  as  to  make  them  of  great  impor- 
tance to  students  of  American  history.  The  present  col- 
lection numbers  over  57,000  volumes  and  pamphlets.  The 
foundation  of  this  collection  was  formed  by  the  books  on 
American  history  owned  by  James  Lenox,  the  founder  of 
the  Lenox  Library,  one  of  the  components  of  the  present 
New  York  Public  Library.  The  tablet  in  the  floor  near 
the  entrance  of  Room  300  is  inscribed  as  follows: 

IN  MEMORY  OF 
JAMES  LENOX 

A   NATIVE  AND   RESIDENT  OF  THE  CITY  OF  NEW  YORK 
BORN  AUGUST  19  1800 
DIED   FEBRUARY   17  1880 
THE  TRUSTEES  OF 
THE   NEW  YORK   PUBLIC  LIBRARY 
ASTOR   LENOX   AND  TILDEN  FOUNDATIONS 
IN  PERFORMANCE  OF  A  GRATEFUL  DUTY 
HAVE  CAUSED  THIS  TABLET  TO  BE  PLACED 
HERE  AMONG  THE  BOOKS  HE  CHERISHED 
AS  A  MEMORIAL  OF  HIS  SERVICES 
TO  THE  HISTORY  OF  AMERICA 

From  the  corridors  on  the  front  and  sides  of  the  third 
floor,  rooms  open  in  the  following  order,  beginning  with 
the  corridor  at  the  south,  on  the  40th  Street  side  of  the 
building: 

Reserved  Books  (No.  303):  In  this  room  are  consulted 
the  rare  and  reserved  books  of  the  Library,  nearly  34,000 
in  number.    Hours:  9  a.  m.  to  6  p.  m.  week  days;  on  Sun- 

[30] 


days  these  books  may  be  used  in  Room  300  from  1  p.  m. 
to  6  p.  m. 

Among  the  foremost  treasures  of  the  Library  are: 
the  Gutenberg  Bible  (printed  by  Gutenberg  and  Fust  about 
1455,  one  of  the  earliest  books  printed  from  movable 
types);  the  Coverdale  Bible  (1535);  Tyndale's  Pentateuch 
(1530),  and  New  Testament  (1536);  and  Eliot's  Indian 
Bible.  In  fact,  the  collection  of  early  Bibles  in  English 
is  one  of  the  great  collections  of  the  kind  in  existence. 
The  Library  also  owns  four  copies  of  the  First  Folio  Shake- 
speare (1623);  several  copies  of  the  Second,  Third,  and 
Fourth  Folios  (1632,  1663-64,  1685);  thirty-five  editions  of 
the  Shakespeare  Quartos,  before  1709;  eight  works  printed 
by  William  Caxton  (1475-90);  the  Bay  Psalm  Book,  the 
first  book  printed  in  the  territory  now  comprised  in  the 
United  States  (Cambridge,  1640);  and  the  Doctrina 
Christiana,  printed  in  Mexico  in  1544. 

One  contribution  to  the  Library  has  been  commemo- 
rated by  a  tablet  near  the  door  of  this  room.  It  bears  the 
inscription: 

THE 

BAILEY  MYERS  COLLECTION 
OF 

AMERICANA 
FORMED  BY 
THEODORUS   BAILEY  MYERS 
OF 

NEW  YORK  CITY 
1821  -  1888 

GIVEN   BY   HIS   WIDOW,  DAUGHTER 
AND  DAUGHTER-IN-LAW  AS  A 
MEMORIAL  OF  HIM  AND  HIS  SON 
THEODORUS   BAILEY   MYERS  MASON 
LIEUTENANT  COMMANDER 
UNITED  STATES  NAVY 

Opposite,  in  Room  304,  is  the  office  of  the  Bibli- 
ographer of  the  Library,  and  of  the  Chief  of  the 
American  History  Division. 

[31] 


Prints  Room.  Opening  from  the  corridor  on  the  east 
(the  front)  of  the  Library  is  the  Prints  Room  (No.  308). 
Open  9  a.  m.  to  6  p.  m.  week  days;  1  to  6  p.  m.  Sundays. 
Here  is  the  Samuel  P.  Avery  Collection  of  18,000  prints. 
They  are  mainly  French  and  other  modern  etchings  and 
lithographs.  There  is  also  a  large  collection  of  modern 
American  prints,  a  collection  of  Japanese  prints  in  color, 
and  a  collection  of  old  prints  illustrating  the  development 
of  reproductive  graphic  art  to  the  present  day. 

Art  and  Architecture.  Room  313  is  the  reading 
room  devoted  to  Art  and  Architecture.  The  resources 
of  the  collection,  about  33,000  books  and  pamphlets,  and 
a  growing  collection  of  more  than  250,000  classified  pic- 
tures, deal  with  art  and  craftsmanship  in  the  widest  sense. 

Map  Room.  On  the  inner,  or  western,  side  of  this 
corridor,  opposite  Room  313,  is  the  Map  Room  (No.  312), 
a  part  of  the  American  History  Division.  Maps  and 
atlases  of  every  kind  are  to  be  found  here.  Open  9  a.  m. 
to  6  p.  m.  on  week  days.  Evenings  and  Sundays  the  re- 
sources of  the  room  are  available  in  Room  300. 

Stuart  Gallery.  Opening  from  the  corridor  on  the 
front  of  the  building,  and  directly  opposite  the  entrance 
to  the  Public  Catalogue  Room,  is  the  room  devoted  to 
the  Stuart  Collection  (No.  316).  Open  9  a.  m.  to  6  p.  m. 
on  week  days.  Closed  on  Sundays.  (The  books,  on 
Sundays,  are  available  to  readers  in  the  Main  Reading 
Room.)  This  gallery  contains  pictures,  books,  and  other 
objects  of  art  bequeathed  by  Mrs.  Robert  L.  Stuart.  On 
the  east  wall  of  the  Gallery  is  a  tablet  with  this  inscription: 

THE 

ROBERT  L.  STUART 
COLLECTION 
THE  GIFT  OF  HIS  WIDOW, 
MRS.  MARY  STUART 
BEQUEATHED   TO  THE 
LENOX  LIBRARY 
1892 

Catalogues  of  the  paintings  are  on  sale  for  ten  cents. 

[33] 


General  Gallery.  The  next  room  to  the  north  is  the 
general  gallery  (No.  318).  (Sign  reads  "Picture  Gal- 
lery.") The  pictures  in  this  room  are  largely  from  the 
collection  of  James  Lenox.  The  catalogue,  mentioned 
in  the  preceding  paragraph,  gives  a  list  of  them,  and  a 
brief  description  of  many.  Note  especially  portraits  by 
Reynolds,  Raeburn  and  Copley,  sea-views  by  Turner,  and 
portraits  of  Washington  by  Stuart.  Open  9  a.  m.  to 
6  p.  m.  week  days,  and  1  to  5  p.  m.  Sundays. 

Prints  Gallery.  Opening  from  No.  318,  and  also 
from  the  north  end  of  the  front  corridor,  is  the  Prints 
Gallery  (No.  321).  Here  are  held  exhibitions  of  prints, 
changed  three  or  four  times  a  year.  Open  9  a.  m.  to  6  p.  m. 
on  week  days,  and  1  to  5  p.  m.  Sundays. 

Spencer  Collection.  (No.  322.)  No  visitor  to  the 
Library  should  fail  to  see  the  Spencer  Collection  of  illus- 
trated books  in  fine  bindings.  Room  322  is  on  the  third 
floor  at  the  north-east  end  of  the  building.  William 
Augustus  Spencer,  a  native  of  New  York  City,  perished 
on  the  Titanic  in  1912.  He  left  to  the  Library  a  collection 
of  illustrated  books,  examples  of  the  best  work  of  modern 
book-binders.  At  the  death  of  Mrs.  Spencer,  not  long 
afterwards,  the  Library  inherited  the  Spencer  Fund,  the 
income  of  which,  it  is  stipulated,  must  be  devoted  to  "the 
finest  illustrated  books... in  handsome  bindings."  Pur- 
chases from  this  fund,  added  to  the  original  bequest,  con- 
stitute the  Spencer  Collection.  A  catalogue  of  the 
original  bequest  of  books  was  published  by  the  Library 
in  1914.  The  Collection  is  constantly  growing,  and  it 
is  planned  to  bring  the  catalogue  to  date. 

Manuscript  Division.  On  the  west  or  inner  side  of 
the  front  corridor  is  the  research  room  of  the  Manuscript 
Division  (No.  319).  This  is  open  only  to  those  who  hold 
cards  signed  by  the  Director  of  the  Library.   Open  9  a.  m. 


[34] 


to  5  p.  m.  week  days.  The  Division  has  a  good  selection 
of  Oriental  manuscripts,  and  of  European  illuminated 
manuscripts.  Among  these  older  ones  may  be  mentioned 
an  "Evangelistarium,  sive  Lectiones  ex  Evangeliis,"  a 
French-Carlovingian  manuscript  on  200  vellum  leaves, 
date  about  870  A.  D.  Another  manuscript  of  special  note 
is  the  work  of  Giulio  Clovio,  his  "Christi  Vita  ab  Evange- 
listis  descripta,"  sometimes  called  "The  Towneley  Lec- 
tionary."  There  are  about  one  hundred  illuminated 
manuscripts  in  the  Division.  Others  are  in  the  Spencer 
Collection. 

The  collection  of  American  historical  manuscripts 
ranks  as  one  of  the  best  in  the  United  States.  Here, 
for  example,  is  the  original  manuscript  of  Washington's 
"Farewell  Address,"  a  copy  of  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence in  Jefferson's  autograph,  and  many  other  letters 
and  original  sources  for  research.  Lists  of  the  principal 
manuscripts  have  been  printed  in  the  Bulletin  of  The  New 
York  Public  Library  (Volume  5,  page  306-336,  and  volume 
19,  page  135-162). 

Music  Division.  Turning  to  the  west,  the  corridor 
on  the  42nd  Street  side  of  the  building  leads  to  the 
Music  Division  (No.  324),  which  opens  from  the  north 
side  of  the  corridor.  It  is  open  week  days  from  9  a.  m.  to 
6  p.  m.  The  resources  of  the  Division  number  about 
twenty-seven  thousand  volumes  and  pamphlets  of  music 
and  books  about  music,  and  about  6,000  unbound  pieces 
of  sheet  music. 

A  tablet  at  the  north  end  of  the  room  bears  this 
inscription: 

DREXEL  MUSICAL  LIBRARY 
THE  LEGACY  OF  JOSEPH  W.   DREXEL  1888 

On  the  east  wall  is  a  tablet  reading  as  follows: 

IN   MEMORY  OF 
1855       JULIAN    EDWARDS  1910 
WHOSE   COLLECTION   OF   MUSIC  SCORES 
AND  BOOKS   WAS  GIVEN  TO  THIS  LIBRARY 


[35] 


BASEMENT 

The  basement  contains  three  rooms  of  public  interest. 
The  entrance  from  42nd  Street  is  the  most  convenient 
way  to  reach  these  rooms  from  the  outside  of  the  build- 
ing, but  a  visitor  on  one  of  the  upper  floors  wishing  to 
reach  the  basement  should  take  the  elevator  or  the  stair- 
case., near  the  north  end  of  the  building. 


Newspaper  Room.  In  the  Newspaper  Room  (No. 
84),  on  the  42nd  Street  side,  about  sixty  daily  newspapers 
are  on  racks  for  free  use,  without  the  need  of  any  ap- 
plication. About  one  hundred  foreign  newspapers  are 
obtainable  upon  application  at  the  desk.  There  are  about 
14,000  volumes  of  newspapers.  A  bulletin  board  at  the 
right  of  the  entrance  gives  full  information  about  these 
and  other  resources  of  the  Newspaper  Room. 


Tablet.  On  the  western  side  of  the  entrance  corri- 
dor, near  the  door  of  the  Circulating  Library,  is  a  bronze 
tablet  with  the  following  inscription: 

[Seal  of  The  New  York  Public  Library] 
THIS   BUILDING  IS  ERECTED 
UPON   A   PART   OF   THE   COMMON  LANDS 
WHICH   WERE   GRANTED  BY  ROYAL  CHARTER 
TO   THE   MAYOR  ALDERMEN  AND  COMMONALTY 
OF  THE  CITY  OF  NEW  YORK 
IN  1686, 

THE   SECOND  YEAR  OF  THE   REIGN   OF  JAMES   THE  SECOND 
KING   OF  ENGLAND. 
THE   CITY   OF  NEW  YORK   IN  1897, 
WILLIAM   L.   STRONG  BEING  MAYOR, 
UNDERTOOK  TO  CONSTRUCT, 
AT  THE   PUBLIC  EXPENSE, 
A   BUILDING   UPON   THIS  SITE 
TO   BE   USED  AND   OCCUPIED  BY 
THE  NEW  YORK   PUBLIC  LIBRARY, 
ASTOR,   LENOX  AND   TILDEN  FOUNDATIONS 
SO   LONG  AS   IT   SHOULD   MAINTAIN  HEREIN 
A   FREE   LIBRARY  AND   READING   ROOM   FOR  THE  PEOPLE. 
WORK   WAS   BEGUN   BY  THE   CITY   IN  1899, 
ROBERT  ANDERSON   VAN   WYCK   BEING  MAYOR. 
THE   CORNERSTONE  WAS   LAID   IN  1902, 
SETH   LOW  BEING  MAYOR. 
THE  BUILDING  WAS   COMPLETED  IN  1909, 
GEORGE  BRINTON   McCLELLAN   BEING  MAYOR. 
IT  WAS   OCCUPIED  AND   OPENED  TO  THE  PUBLIC  IN  1911 
WILLIAM   JAY   GAYNOR  BEING  MAYOR. 


[36] 


Central  Circulation  Branch  (sign  over  door  reads  "Cir- 
culating Library")  (No.  80).  This  is  one  of  the  forty- 
three  Branches  of  The  New  York  Public  Library,  intended 
for  the  circulation  of  books  for  home  use.  In  this  in- 
stance alone  the  Branch  is  situated  in  the  Central  Building 
and  is  supported  by  the  funds  of  the  Library  and  not  by 
the  City*  During  afternoons  and  evenings,  especially  in 
the  autumn,  winter  and  spring  months,  the  room  is  fre- 
quently over-crowded  with  readers  and  borrowers  of 
books.  As  over  580,000  books  were  borrowed  from  this 
one  room  during  1920,  it  may  be  said  that  there  are  few, 
if  any,  busier  library  rooms  in  the  country,  or,  indeed,  in 
the  world.  There  is  a  collection  of  about  75,000  books 
to  be  lent  here.  The  room  is  open  9  a.  m.  to  10  p.  m.  week 
days,  including  all  holidays,  and  2  to  6  p.  m.  on  Sundays. 

Children's  Room.  Near  the  42nd  Street  entrance  a 
corridor  runs  east  to  the  Children's  Room  (No.  78).  The 
visitor  to  the  building  should  not  fail  to  see  this  room, 
with  its  attractive  furnishings,  its  collections  of  brightly 
colored  picture-books,  and  pictures. 

The  object  of  the  room  is  not  only  to  perform  the 
usual  work  of  a  children's  library,  but  also  to  interest  and 
help  parents  and  others  in  selecting  children's  reading. 
Authors,  artists,  and  publishers  come  here  for  information 
about  books  for  children.  Another  purpose  is  to  furnish 
suggestions  for  similar  rooms  elsewhere.  A  number  of 
libraries,  in  other  parts  of  the  world,  have  adopted  sug- 
gestions which  they  found  here.  Exhibitions  on  various 
subjects  are  held  from  time  to  time,  and  in  addition  to 
the  modern  books  there  is  a  collection  of  children's  books 
of  the  old-fashioned  kind.  Open  9  a.  m.  to  6  p.  m.  week 
days. 

Elevators  are  opposite  the  door  of  the  Children's 
Room. 

[37] 


Library  School.  (No.  73.)  Here  a  two  years'  course 
in  preparation  for  library  work  is  given  to  a  body  of 
students  from  various  parts  of  the  country.  The  office 
of  the  School  (where  inquiries  should  be  made)  is  in 
Room  73,  on  the  outer  or  eastern  side  of  the  corridor 
which  runs  along  the  front  of  the  building,  parallel  to  Fifth 
Avenue. 

Business  Offices.  The  rest  of  the  basement  floor 
is  occupied  by  offices,  open  only  to  those  who  have 
business  engagements  therein.  The  offices  include  that 
for  Printing  and  Binding  (No.  58),  and  the  Shipping  Room 
(No.  51).  In  the  Printing  Office  the  catalogue  cards  of 
the  Library,  printed  forms,  and  all  the  Library's  publica- 
tions are  printed.    For  the  publications,  see  page  62. 

Extension  Division  (formerly  the  Traveling  Libraries 
Office).  The  entrance  to  the  Extension  Division  is  from 
Bryant  Park,  at  the  southwest  corrier  of  the  building. 
Its  work  is  described  on  page  45. 


Municipal  Reference  Library.  The  Municipal  Ref- 
erence Library  is  a  branch  maintained  in  Room  512  of  the 
Municipal  Building  for  the  use  of  city  officials  and  em- 
ployees. It  is  a  bureau  of  information  and  ready  reference 
library  for  municipal  affairs.  Hours  9  a.  m.  to  5  p.  m.; 
Saturdays  9  a.  m.  to  1  p.  m.     Closed  on  Sundays. 


[38] 


THE   CIRCULATION  DEPARTMENT 

Branch  Libraries  —  Hours  of  Opening: 

Central  Circulation  open  9  a.  m.  to  10  p.  m.  every 
week  day,  2  to  6  p.  m.  on  Sundays.  Children's 
Room  9  a.  m.  to  6  p.  m.  on  week  days.  Library  for 
the  Blind  and  Circulation  Department  Offices 
open  9  a.  m.  to  5  p.  m.  on  week  days.  Extension 
Division,  9  a.  m.  to  6  p.  m.  on  week  days.  Other 
branches,  9  a.  m.  to  9  p.  m.  on  week  days.  Excep- 
tions as  follows :  Central  Circulation  and  branches 
in  Carnegie  buildings  open  full  hours  on  all  holidays ; 
other  branches  closed  on  all  holidays  and  Christmas 
eve.  For  hours  of  Sub-branches  inquire  at  office  of 
Extension  Division. 


CIRCULATION  DEPARTMENT 


The  Circulation  Department  of  the  Library  performs 
its  work  through  forty-three  Branch  Libraries  and  six 
Sub-Branches  in  the  Boroughs  of  Manhattan,  Richmond 
(Staten  Island),  and  The  Bronx.  (Each  of  the  other  two 
Boroughs  of  Greater  New  York,  Brooklyn  and  Queens,  has 
its  own  Public  Library.)  These  Branches  are  in  separate 
buildings,  with  the  exception  of  the  Circulation  Branch  in 
the  Central  Building.  That  is  supported  by  the  funds  of 
the  Library;  all  the  others  are  maintained  by  the  City. 
The  Sub-Branches  are  in  buildings  not  owned  by  the  Li- 
brary. Thirty-seven  of  the  Branch  buildings  were  erected 
from  funds  given  by  Mr.  Andrew  Carnegie.  The  collec- 
tions of  books  in  the  Branches  number  from  eight  to 
seventy-five  thousand,  with  a  total  of  about  1,157,000 
books,  representing  about  132,000  separate  titles. 

Each  Branch  has  an  adult  department,  with  its  col- 
lection of  books  for  adult  readers,  a  children's  room,  and 
a  reading  room  with  current  magazines,  reference  books 
and,  in  many  cases,  daily  newspapers.  Many  of  the 
Branches  contain  lecture  or  assembly  rooms. 

These  Branch  Libraries  serve  a  population  estimated 
at  above  three  millions.  The  Branches  are  spread  over 
a  large  territory,  and  from  the  northern-most  of  them,  in 
the  Borough  of  The  Bronx,  to  the  one  farthest  south,  on 
Staten  Island,  the  distance  is  about  forty  miles.  A  direc- 
tory of  Branches  is  on  pages  59-61. 

Circulation  of  Books.  The  New  York  Public  Li- 
brary, according  to  the  general  custom  of  American 
libraries,  imposes  few  restrictions  upon  its  readers.  This 
fact,  together  with  its  situation  in  the  metropolis  of  the 
country,  is  the  reason  why  it  is  probably  used  more  than 

[41] 


any  other  library  under  one  management  in  the  world. 
In  1920,  there  were  borrowed  from  the  Branch  Li- 
braries, for  home  use,  9,658,977  books.  (This  was  a 
decrease,  owing  to  depletion  of  the  book-stock,  and  other 
causes.  The  average  annual  circulation,  1915-1919,  was 
10,148,501. 

Special  Collections.  There  are  books  in  foreign  lan- 
guages, especially  French  and  German,  in  all  the  Branches. 
The  principal  collections  of  books  in  foreign  tongues  other 
than  French  and  German,  are  these: 


Language 

Branch 

Chinese  -   -   -  ■ 

Chatham  Square. 

Czecho-Slovak 

Webster. 

Danish    -    -    -  • 

Port  Richmond,  Tottenville,  Central  Reserve. 

Dutch     -    -   -  • 

-    Central  Reserve. 

Finnish    -    -   -  ■ 

-    125th  Street. 

Flemish  -   -    -  ■ 

-    Central  Reserve. 

Greek  (Modern)  • 

Chatham  Square. 

Hebrew   -   -   -  - 

Seward  Park,  Aguilar. 

Hungarian   -    -  ■ 

•    Tompkins  Square,  Hamilton  Fish  Park, 

Yorkville,  Woodstock. 

Italian     -    -    -  - 

Hudson  Park,  Aguilar,  Rivington  Street. 

Norwegian  -    -  • 

Port  Richmond,  Tottenville. 

Polish     -    -    -  - 

Tompkins  Square,  Columbus,  Melrose. 

Roumanian  -    -  - 

Central  Reserve. 

Russian   -   -    -  - 

Seward  Park,  Rivington  Street,  Hamilton 

Fish  Park,  96th  Street,  Tremont. 

Spanish   -   -   -  - 

Jackson  Square,  115th  Street,  Washington 

Heights,  Central  Circulation. 

Swedish  -   -    -  - 

125th  Street,  Central  Reserve. 

Serbian   -   -   -  - 

Central  Reserve. 

Yiddish  -   -   -  - 

Rivington  Street,  Seward  Park,  Hamilton 

Fish  Park,  Aguilar,  Tremont,  Wood- 
stock, 96th  Street. 


Interbranch  Loan.  A  book  (except  Fiction)  in  any 
one  of  the  Branches  is  available  to  a  reader  at  any  other 
Branch  through  a  system  of  interbranch  loans.    A  small 

[43] 


reserve  collection  in  the  Central  Building  is  also  available. 
Interbranch  Loan  Office  is  in  Room  100,  Central  Building. 

Picture  Collection.  The  Picture  Collection  is  in  Room 
100  of  the  Central  Building.  The  collection  contains  more 
than  100,000  pictures  and  post-cards  on  a  wide  variety  of 
subjects.    They  may  be  borrowed  on  a  Library  card. 

Library  for  the  Blind.  The  Library  for  the  Blind, 
although  under  control  of  the  Circulation  Department,  has 
its  headquarters  and  reading  room  in  the  Central  Building. 
Its  work  has  been  described  on  page  19. 

Extension  Division  (formerly  Travelling  Libraries 
Office).  The  Extension  Division  supplies  books  to  out- 
lying districts  of  the  three  boroughs.  This  is  done  through 
social  and  educational  organizations,  community  centers 
and  Sub-Branches.  A  community  center  circulates  the 
books  provided  by  the  Division.  The  Division  exer- 
cises a  supervisory  interest  and  expects  a  monthy  re- 
port of  use.  When  the  center  grows  so  large  that  it 
cannot  be  cared  for  by  voluntary  aid,  the  Extension  Di- 
vision establishes  a  Sub-Branch.  The  Sub-Branches  are 
open  about  half  the  time  of  the  Branch  Libraries.  (See 
Directory  of  Branches,  pages  59-61).  In  1920,  the  Ex- 
tension Division  had  463  agencies,  and  lent  425,646  books. 

Work  with  Children.  The  work  with  children  com- 
prises a  great  deal  besides  the  maintenance  of  children's 
rooms  and  the  circulation  of  children's  books.  In  1920, 
the  total  circulation  of  books  to  children  was  3,882,799, 
more  than  one-third  of  the  total  circulation  of  the  Library. 
The  Library  works  with  the  schools  and  museums.  It 
holds  special  exhibitions,  meetings,  and  celebrations  of 
interest  to  children  and  to  parents.     About  thirty  reading 

[45] 


clubs  for  the  older  boys  and  girls  meet  at  the  Branch 
Libraries.  Groups  of  children  gather  in  the  Branches  to 
attend  "story  hours." 

Lectures  and  meetings.  The  Branches  are  used  as 
meeting  places  by  literary,  educational  and  social  organi- 
zations and  clubs.  Assembly  rooms  in  the  Branches  are 
open  for  any  meeting  of  an  instructive  or  literary  nature, 
provided  that  no  admission  fee  is  charged,  and  that  nothing 
of  a  political  or  sectarian  character  is  discussed.  Many 
classes  of  foreigners  learning  English  meet  regularly  in 
the  Branch  Libraries. 


AT    A    STORY  HOUR 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  THE  LIBRARY 


The  New  York  Public  Library,  as  it  exists  to-day, 
is  the  result  of  the  generosity  of  a  few  private  citizens, 
combined  with  the  efforts  of  the  City  itself.  Its  cor- 
porate existence,  in  its  present  form,  began  on  May  23, 
1895,  by  the  consolidation  of  "The  Trustees  of  the 
Astor  Library,"  "The  Trustees  of  the  Lenox  Library," 
and  "The  Tilden  Trust." 

The  Astor  Library,  originally  incorporated  in  1849, 
was  founded  by  John  Jacob  Astor.  His  gifts,  together 
with  those  of  his  sons  and  giandsons,  amounted  to  about 
$1,700,000.  Washington  Irving  was  the  first  President  of 
the  Library,  and  Joseph  Green  Cogswell  its  first  Superin- 
tendent or  Librarian.  In  its  building  on  Lafayette  Place 
(now  Lafayette  Street)  it  was  for  many  years  one  of  the 
literary  landmarks  of  New  York.  At  the  time  of  its  con- 
solidation with  The  New  York  Public  Library  it  had  an 
endowment  fund  of  about  $941,000,  which  produced  an 
annual  income  of  about  $47,000.  It  contained  then  266,147 
volumes.  It  was  solely  a  reference  library,  —  the  funds 
were  given  with  the  understanding  that  the  books  should 
not  be  lent  for  use  outside  the  building. 

The  Lenox  Library.  James  Lenox,  one  of  America's 
greatest  book  collectors,  was  born  in  New  York  City  in 
1800,  and  died  there  in  1880.  In  1870,  by  the  incorporation 
of  the  Lenox  Library,  he  gave  to  the  city  of  his  birth  his 
books  and  art  treasures.  The  building,  which  formerly 
stood  on  Fifth  Avenue,  between  70th  and  71st  Streets,  was 
erected  for  the  Library  and  opened  to  the  public,  a  part 
at  a  time,  beginning  in  1876.  At  the  time  of  consolidation 
the  Library  owned  its  building,  an  endowment  fund  of 

[47] 


$505,500,  which  yielded  an  annual  income  of  about  $20,500; 
and  about  86,000  volumes.  This  also  was  a  reference 
library,  not  a  circulating  library. 

The  Tilden  Trust.  Samuel  Jones  Tilden  was  born 
in  New  Lebanon,  New  York,  in  1814.    He  died  at  "Grey- 


MOTT    HAVEN  BRANCH 


stone,"  Yonkers,  N.  Y.,  in  1886.  By  the  final  settlement 
of  his  estate  the  City  received  his  private  library  and  an  en- 
dowment fund  of  about  $2,000,000,  for  library  purposes. 

Consolidation.  In  the  agreement  for  consolidation 
it  was  provided  that  the  name  of  the  new  corporation 
should  be  "The  New  York  Public  Library,  Astor,  Lenox 
and  Tilden  Foundations";  that  the  number  of  its  trustees 


[48] 


should  be  twenty-one,  to  be  selected  from  the  thirty-three 
members  of  the  separate  boards;  and  that  "the  said  new 
corporation  shall  establish  and  maintain  a  free  public 
library  and  reading  room  in  the  City  of  New  York,  with 
such  branches  as  may  be  deemed  advisable,  and  shall  con- 
tinue and  promote  the  several  objects  and  purposes  set 
forth  in  the  respective  acts  of  incorporation  of  'The  Trus- 
tees of  the  Astor  Library,'  'The  Trustees  of  the  Lenox 
Library,'  and  'The  Tilden  Trust.'  " 

Later,  another  member  was  added  to  the  Board  of 
Trustees,  and  three  municipal  officials  were  made  members 
ex  officio. 

The  first  Director  of  The  New  York  Public  Library 
was  Dr.  John  Shaw  Billings,  who  served  from  1896  until 
his  death  in  1913.  He  rendered  distinguished  services, 
especially  in  the  organization  of  the  new  Library  and  in 
the  arrangement  of  the  Central  Building. 

New  York  Free  Circulating  Library.  In  1901  the 
New  York  Free  Circulating  Library  was  consolidated  with 
the  new  system.  This  Library  had  then  eleven  Branches 
and  owned  about  160,000  volumes. 

Other  Circulating  Libraries.  In  1901,  the  St.  Agnes 
Free  Library  and  the  Washington  Heights  Free  Library 
were  also  added  to  the  system.  The  New  York  Free 
Circulating  Library  for  the  Blind  and  the  Aguilar  Free 
Library,  with  four  Branches,  were  added  in  1903.  In  1904, 
the  Harlem  Free  Library,  Tottenville  Free  Library,  the 
University  Settlement  Library  at  Rivington  and  Eldridge 
Streets,  and  the  Webster  Free  Library  followed.  Also  in 
1904,  the  five  Branches  of  the  Cathedral  Free  Circulating 
Library  became  part  of  the  new  corporation. 

Carnegie  Branches.  In  1901,  Air.  Andrew  Carnegie 
offered  Greater  New  York  $5,200,000  for  the  construction 
and  equipment  of  free  circulating  libraries,  on  condition 


[49] 


that  the  City  provide  the  land  and  agree  to  maintain  the 
libraries  when  built.  The  offer  was  accepted  and  thirty- 
seven  Branch  Libraries  are  now  housed  in  buildings  erected 
with  that  part  of  Mr.  Carnegie's  gift  assigned  to  The  New 
York  Public  Library.  A  directory  of  all  the  Branch  Li- 
braries may  be  found  on  pages  59-61. 


BOYS'    CLUB;    YORKVILLE  BRANCH 


Management.  The  corporation  is  managed  by  a 
Board  of  twenty-five  Trustees,  including  the  Mayor,  Comp- 
troller, and  President  of  the  Board  of  Aldermen  ex  officio. 
The  names  of  the  Trustees  are  given  on  page  57.  The 
Trustees  hold  office  continuously,  and  vacancies  are  filled 
by  vote  of  the  remaining  Trustees.  No  Trustee  receives 
any  compensation  for  his  services.  The  immediate  man- 
agement of  the  Library  is  entrusted  to  the  Director.  The 
Staff  numbers  about  1,215  persons,  including  those  in  the 
Central  Building  and  in  the  Branches.     As  the  buildings 

[50] 


are  open  between  twelve  and  thirteen  hours  a  day  the 
Staff  works  in  two  shifts.  About  500  of  the  Staff  are  em- 
ployed in  the  Central  Building. 

History.  A  history  of  the  Library,  by  the  Chief 
Reference  Librarian,  Mr.  Lydenberg,  has  been  appearing 


VISIT    OF    A    CLASS    FROM    A    PUBLIC  SCHOOL 


at  intervals  in  the  Bulletin  of  The  New  York  Public  Library, 
July -September,  1916,  February,  April,  1917,  November - 
December,  1920,  January,  March,  May,  July  -  September, 
1921.    It  is  planned  to  publish  the  history  as  a  book. 

Work  of  the  Library.  This  historical  sketch  may  help 
to  make  clear  the  organization  of  the  Library  and  its  work 
as  it  is  carried  on  to-day.  It  is  a  free  reference  library 
combined  with  a  free  circulating  library.  The  books  in 
the  Reference  Department  (in  the  Central  Building)  which 

[51] 


came  from  either  the  Astor  or  the  Lenox  Libraries,  and 
those  which  have  been  added  since  the  consolidation,  from 
the  endowments  of  those  Libraries,  must  necessarily  be  for 
reference  use  only.  The  Astor  and  Lenox  Foundations 
give  the  Trustees  of  The  New  York  Public  Library  no 
option  in  this  matter.  Over  one  million  books  in  the 
Circulation  Department  (the  Branch  Libraries)  are  lent 
for  home  use. 


>... 


KINGSBRIDGE  BRANCH 


[52] 


DIRECTORY  OF  ROOMS 


Name  of  Office 

Floor          Roo  m 

Number 

Acquisition  Division  (Reference  Dept.) 

2 

-  204 

3 

-  300 

3 

_  313 

Art  -------- 

3 

-  313 

Basement 

-  60 

Blind,  Books  for  the  - 

1 

-  116 

Book  Order  Office  (Circulation  Dept.)  - 

1 

-  100 

Building  Superintendent  -      -       -  - 

1 

-  103 

1 

-  104 

Catalogue  Room  (Public)  - 

3 

-  315 

Cataloguing  Room  (Circulation  Dept.)  - 

1 

-  100 

Cataloguing  Room  (Reference  Dept.)  - 

2 

-  200 

Central  Circulation  Room  - 

Basement 

-  80 

Checking  Room  

Basement 

-  81 

Checking  Room  ----- 

1        Under  Sou 

th  Stairs 

1 

-  118 

Children's  Room  ----- 

Basement 

-  78 

Circulation  Department  Offices 

1 

-  102 

Current  Periodicals  - 

1 

-  Ill 

Director's  Office     -  - 

-  210 

2 

-  228 

Editor  of  Publications    -      -      -  - 

2 

-  212 

Elevators  ------ 

all 

1 

-  103 

Exhibition  Room  

1 

-  113 

Extension  Division  ----- 

Basement 

Genealogy  ------ 

3 

-  328 

3 

-  315 

Interbranch  Loan  Office  -      -      -  - 

1 

-  100 

2      -      -  - 

-  217 

2 

-  213 

Basement 

-  73 

Main  Reading  Room      -      -      -  - 

3 

[53] 


<-  42nd  Street  -> 


<-  40th  Street  -> 


  (  mi  i  111 11  p n 

  \y  u  ft  t  in tit  U> 

Name  of  Office 

Floor 

Room  Number 

Manuscripts  ------ 

3 

-      -      -  319 

Maps  ------- 

3 

-  312 

Music  ------- 

3 

-  324 

Newspapers  ------ 

Basement 

-  84 

Order  Div.  (Acquisition  Div.  Ref.  Dept.) 

2 

-      -  204 

Oriental  Literature  ----- 

2 

-  219 

Parcel  Room  ------ 

Basement 

-  81 

Parcel  Room  ------ 

1 

Under  South  Stairs 

Patents    -       -  - 

1 

-  121 

Periodicals  (Current)     -       -       -  - 

1 

-  Ill 

Picture  Collection  (Circulating)  - 

1 

-  100 

Picture  Galleries  ----- 

3 

-  316-320 

Political  Science  ----- 

2 

-  228 

Print  Exhibition  Room  -       -       -  - 

3 

-  321 

Print  Room  ------ 

3 

-  308 

Printing  Office  - 

Basement 

-  58 

Public  Catalogue  Room  -       -      -  - 

3 

-      -  315 

Public  Documents  ----- 

2 

-  228 

Reading  Room  (Main)  - 

3 

Reference  Librarian  - 

2 

-  211 

Science  and  Technology  -       -       -  - 

1 

-  117 

Shipping  Office  ----- 

Basement 

-  51 

Slavonic  Literature  - 

2 

-  216 

Sociology  ______ 

2 

-  228 

Spencer  Collection  ----- 

3 

-  322 

Statistics  ------- 

2 

-  228 

Stock  Room  ------ 

Basement 

-  67 

Stuart  Collection  ----- 

3 

-  316 

Supervisor  of  Work  with  Children  - 

1 

-  105 

Technology  and  Science  -       -       -  - 

1 

-  117 

1 

Undtr  North  Stairs 

Trustees'  Room  ----- 

2 

-  206 

Union  Catalogue  of  Circulation  Collection 

1 

-  100 

[55] 


<-  42nd  Street 


<-  40th  Street  -> 


TRUSTEES  AND  OFFICERS  OF  THE  LIBRARY* 


William  W.  Appleton 


Morgan  J.  O'Brien 
Stephen  H.  Olin 
William  Barclay  Parsons 
Elihu  Root 
Edward  W.  Sheldon 
William  Sloane 
I.  N.  Phelps  Stokes 
Henry  Walters 
Payne  Whitney 


George  F.  Baker,  Jr. 
Cleveland  H.  Dodge 
Samuel  Greenbaum 
Edward  S.  Harkness 


Archbishop  P.  J.  Hayes 
Arthur  Curtiss  James 


Lewis  Cass  Ledyard 
J.  P.  Morgan 


John  G.  Milburn 
John  F.  Hylan,  Mayor  of  the  City  of  New  York,  ex  officio 
Charles  L.  Craig,  Comptroller  of  the  City  of  New  York,  ex  officio 
Fiorello  H.  La  Guardia,  President  of  the  Board  of  Aldermen,  ex  officio 


First  Vice-President,  Elihu  Root 

Second  Vice-President,  Cleveland  H.  Dodge 

Secretary,  William  Sloane 

Treasurer,  Edward  W.  Sheldon 

Assistant  Treasurer,  United  States  Trust  Company 

Director,  Edwin  H.  Anderson,  476  Fifth  Avenue 


Chief  Reference  Librarian,  H.  M.  Lydenberg 

Chief  of  the  Circulation  Department,  Franklin  F.  Hopper 

*  Sept.  1,  1921.    There  are  three  vacancies. 


OFFICERS 


President,  Lewis  Cass  Ledyard 


[57] 


<-  42nd  Street  -> 


<-  40th  Street  -> 


BRANCH  LIBRARIES  AND  SUB-BRANCHES 


Excepting  the  Branch  in  the  Central  Building,  the  order  of  arrangement  is  south  to 
north  in  Manhattan  and  The  Bronx.  All  Branches  are  in  Carnegie  Buildings  except 
those  designated  by  a  *.  The  address  of  the  Branch  is  given  first;  the  name  of  the 
Branch  follows  in  curves,  except  where  the  name  is  that  of  the  street  on  which  it  stands. 

MANHATTAN 

Fifth  Avenue  and  42nd  St.  (Central  Circulation.*)  (Also  in  the 
Central  Building  are  the  Central  Children's- Room,  Extension 
Division,  and  Library  for  the  Blind.) 

33  East  Broadway.    (Chatham  Square.) 

192  East  Broadway.    (Seward  Park.) 

61  Rivington  Street. 

388  East  Houston  St.    (Hamilton  Fish  Park.) 

66  Leroy  Street.    (Hudson  Park.) 

135  Second  Ave.    Near  8th  St.  (Ottendorfer.) 

331  East  10th  St.    (Tompkins  Square.) 

251  West  13th  St.    (Jackson  Square.*) 

228  East  23d  St.  (Epiphany.) 

209  West  23d  St.  (Muhlenberg.) 

303  East  36th  St.    (St.  Gabriel's  Park.) 

457  West  40th  St. 

123  East  50th  St.  (Cathedral.*) 

742  Tenth  Avenue.   Near  51st  St.  (Columbus.) 

121  East  58th  Street. 

328  East  67th  Street. 

190  Amsterdam  Avenue.     Near  69th  St.  (Riverside.) 
1465  Avenue  A.   Near  78th  St.  (Webster.) 
222  East  79th  St.  (Yorkville.) 

444  Amsterdam  Avenue.    Near  81st  St.    (St.  Agnes.) 

112  East  96th  Street. 

206  West  100th  St.  (Bloomingdale.*) 

174  East  110th  St.  (Aguilar.) 

203  West  115th  Street. 

9  West  124th  St.    (Harlem  Library.) 

224  East  125th  Street. 

Room  108a,  Columbia  University  Library.    (Columbia  Sub-branch*) 

518  West  125th  St.    (George  Bruce.*) 

103  West  135th  Street. 

503  West  145th  St.    (Hamilton  Grange.) 

1000  St.  Nicholas  Avenue.    Cor.  of  160th  St.    (Washington  Heights.) 
535  West  179th  St.    (Fort  Washington.) 

*  Not  a  Carnegie  Building. 


[59] 


<-  42nd  Street 


<-  40th  Street  -> 


Branch  Libraries  and  Sub-Branches  —  Continued 

THE  BRONX 

321  East  140th  St.    (Mott  Haven.) 

759  East  160th  St.  (Woodstock.) 

910  Morris  Avenue.    Cor.  of  162nd  St.  (Melrose.) 

78  West  168th  St.    (High  Bridge.) 

610  East  169th  St.  (Morrisania.) 

1866  Washington  Avenue.    Cor.  of  176th  St.  (Tremont.) 
1743  Wallace  Avenue.    (Van  Nest  Sub-branch.*) 

2647  Bainbridge  Avenue.    Near  194th  St.     (Fordham  Sub-branch.*) 
3041  Kingsbridge  Avenue.    Near  230th  St.  (Kingsbridge.) 
3777  White  Plains  Road.     Cor.  of  219th  St.     (Williamsbridge  Sub- 
branch.*) 

325  City  Island  Avenue.    (City  Island  Sub-branch.*) 

RICHMOND 

5  Central  Avenue,  Tompkinsville,  P.  O.    (St.  George.) 
75  Bennett  St.    (Port  Richmond.) 

848  Castleton  Avenue.    (West  New  Brighton  Sub-branch.*) 

132  Canal  St.  (Stapleton.) 

7430  Amboy  Road.  (Tottenville.) 

*  Not  a  Carnegie  Building. 


[61] 


PUBLICATIONS  OF  THE  LIBRARY 


Annual  Report  of  The  New  York  Public  Library.  (A 
limited  number  are  sent  to  institutions  or  private  persons 
upon  request.) 

Bulletin  of  The  New  York  Public  Library.  Published 
monthly.  Chiefly  devoted  to  the  Reference  Department. 
Bibliography,  news  of  the  Library,  reprints  of  manuscripts, 
descriptions  of  new  accessions.  One  dollar  a  year;  cur- 
rent single  numbers  for  ten  cents.  Back  numbers  at  ad- 
vanced rates. 

New  Technical  Books.  A  selected  list  of  books  on  in- 
dustrial arts  and  engineering,  recently  added  to  the 
Library.  Published  quarterly.  (A  limited  number  given 
free  on  request.) 

Municipal  Reference  Library  Notes.  Published 
weekly,  except  during  July  and  August,  for  circulation 
among  the  officials  and  employees  of  the  City  of  New 
York.  Price:  $1.50  a  year;  5  cents  a  copy.  Apply  at 
Room  512,  Municipal  Building. 

Facts  for  the  Public.  A  small  pamphlet  of  general 
information  about  the  Library.  Much  of  its  contents  is 
also  contained  in  this  Handbook.     Five  cents. 

The  Reference  Department  also  publishes  lists  of  books 
in  the  Library  upon  various  historical,  literary,  and  scien- 
tific subjects,  as  well  as  texts  from  manuscripts  owned  by 
the  Library.  The  Circulation  Department  publishes  lists 
of  books  for  adults  and  for  children.  For  a  complete  list 
of  the  Library's  publications  now  in  print,  see  the  current 
Bulletin  of  The  New  York  Publie  Library. 


[62] 


THE  CROTON  RESERVOIR 


As  the  Central  Building  of  the  Library  stands  on  part  of  the  site 
of  the  old  Croton  Reservoir,  it  is  fitting  to  reprint  here  the  inscriptions 
on  two  tablets  which  were  formerly  affixed  to  the  Reservoir. 

One  tablet  is  now  on  the  first  floor  of  the  Central  Building,  on  the 
wall  of  the  south  or  40th  Street  corridor.   The  inscription  is: 

HISTORICAL  AND   DESCRIPTIVE  ACCOUNT 
OF  THE   CROTON  AQUEDUCT 

The  Law  authorizing  the  construction  of  the  work,  passed  May 
2nd,  1834. 

STEPHEN  ALLEN,  WILLIAM  W.  FOX,  SAUL  ALLEY, 
CHARLES  DUSENBERRY  and  BENJAMIN  M.  BROWN  were  appointed 
Commissioners. 

During  the  year  1834,  two  surveys  were  made  —  one  by  DAVID  B. 
DOUGLASS  and  the  other  by  JOHN  MARTINEAU. 

In  April,  1835,  a  majority  of  the  Electors  of  the  City  voted  in 
favour  of  constructing  the  Aqueduct. 

On  the  7th  May  following,  the  Common  Council  "instructed  the 
Commissioners  to  proceed  with  the  work." 

DAVID  B.  DOUGLASS  was  employed  as  Chief  Engineer  until 
October,  1836;  when  he  was  succeeded  by  JOHN  B.  JERVIS. 

In  March,  1837,  BENJAMIN  M.  BROWN  resigned,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  THOMAS  T.  WOODRUFF. 

In  March,  1840,  the  before  mentioned  Commissioners  were  suc- 
ceeded by  SAMUEL  STEVENS,  JOHN  D.  WARD,  ZEBEDEE  RING, 
BENJAMIN  BIRDSALL  and  SAMUEL  R.  CHILDS. 

The  work  was  commenced  in  May,  1837.  On  the  22nd  June,  1842, 
the  Aqueduct  was  so  far  completed  that  it  received  the  Water  from  the 
Croton  River  Lake;  on  the  27th  the  Water  entered  the  Receiving  Reservoir 
and  was  admitted  into  this  Reservoir  on  the  succeeding  4th  of  July. 

The  DAM  at  the  Croton  River  is  40  feet  high,  and  the  overfall 
251  feet  in  length. 

The  CROTON  RIVER  LAKE  is  five  miles  long,  and  covers  an 
area  of  400  acres. 

The  AQUEDUCT,  from  the  DAM  to  this  Reservoir,  is  40y2  miles 
long,  and  will  deliver  in  twenty-four  hours  60,000,000  imperial  gallons. 

The  capacity  of  the  Receiving  Reservoir  is  150,000,000  gallons, 
and  of  this  reservoir  20,000,000. 

The  cost,  to  and  including  this  Reservoir,  nearly  $9,000,000. 


In  the  pavement  of  the  south  court  is  a  tablet  with  this  inscription: 
CROTON  AQUEDUCT. 
DISTRIBUTING  RESERVOIR. 
COMMISSIONERS.  ENGINEERS. 
SAMUEL   STEVENS  JOHN   B.  JERVIS,  CHIEF, 

ZEBEDEE   RING  H°  ALLEN,   PRIN1  ASSIST. 

JOHN   D.   WARD  P.   HASTIE,  RESIDENT. 

BENJn  BIRDSALL  BUILDERS. 
SAMUEL  R.   CHILDS  THOMSON   PRICE   &  SON. 

COMMENCED  A.  D.  MDCCCXXXVIII.    COMPLETED  A.  D.  MDCCCXLII. 


[63] 


THIS  HANDBOOK  WAS  PRINTED  AT  THE  NEW  YORK 
PUBLIC  LIBRARY;  THE  FIRST  EDITION,  OF  TWENTY- 
FIVE  THOUSAND  COPIES,  IN  JUNE,  1916;  THIS,  THE 
SECOND  EDITION,  FIVE  THOUSAND  COPIES,  IN 
SEPTEMBER,  1921. 


